novelraw Chapter 1004 - 877: The Blame-Shifting Brothers
Chapter 1004 - 877: The Blame-Shifting Brothers
Day by day passed, and this year’s autumn seemed to arrive prematurely. The scorching summer had just gone by, bringing with it autumn winds that swept through, leaves withering and the cold currents flowing.Almost eight-year-old Ping’an, after many years of exercise, had shed his baby fat, especially this summer during which he had a growth spurt, and now he had become a little man.
He stood over 1.3 meters tall, with a slightly chubby, fair face that retained a hint of childishness, and an air of cool charisma when silent. Under his handsome slanted eyebrows, a pair of big beautiful eyes often sparkled with innocent joy, yet his sharp and steady gaze was hidden beneath lashes like feather fans.
With a high nose and gently pressed lips, his well-defined features, a modified military uniform, and a red armband, everything exuded his excellence.
At this moment, he had just come from the classroom to meet up with his buddies he grew up with, when a little girl holding a book of quotations hurriedly ran over, not even having time to catch her breath before calling out loudly.
"Zhang Mingxuan, wait up."
Ping’an nonchalantly glanced at her, noticing the uneven seams on the sleeves of her faded, old military uniform, realizing she was another little girl who had altered her parents’ military uniform on her own.
"Tomorrow some of us are going to the city to see a battle. Do you want to join?"
Ping’an raised an eyebrow, "Sure."
"Great! I knew you were a good comrade!"
"We are good comrades too! What class are you in? Which courtyard?"
"Yes, report your name quickly."
"Right, right, otherwise you might not get to join us tomorrow."
The good comrade glanced sideways at the bored bunch of buddies around him. Sure enough, like Uncle Dayong and his group, these older ones were starting to get spry.
They had long received news of heading to the alley in the west of the city tomorrow. As for what to do, need it be said? Probably another household was reported.
Just last week, not far from the small courtyard alley where Master moved in, wasn’t a family pulled out? It’s said there was a fatal incident.
Ping’an caught a glimpse of the bending elderly principal sweeping beside the sports field, a hint of sympathy flitting across his lowered eyes, and nodded slightly at the girl, nudging his buddies beside him with a foot.
"Let’s go!"
Among the five or six lads, he was the youngest. While the likes of Wen Yu were vaguely beginning to understand those things between men and women, finding partners and such, oh well.
For Ping’an always being liked by girl classmates, the childhood pals he grew up with were no longer surprised. What’s so strange about it?
Not to mention the older school girls, even in the Big Courtyard, there were quite a few little girls eager to be little brides.
On the way home, Ping’an saw a few people beside him winking and smirking and shook his head indifferently. How old was he anyway, not quite understanding these things.
Even jokes have their time and place. The group, thinking he was still young, soon got bored, play fighting for a while, discussing how tomorrow’s battle would unfold again?
But what does it have to do with you little brats?
Hearing this, Ping’an lowered his head, pressing his lips together, and as he raised his head in that split second, he had returned to his usual expression, occasionally echoing a few of their questions, while greeting passing servicemen and their families.
Unlike the tense air outside, everything in the Big Courtyard was as usual. But Ping’an still couldn’t suppress the worries and anxieties in his heart. Could his mom cope at work?
Declining invitations from a few friends to go play at their homes, watching Wen Yu and them leave amid laughter and chatters, Ping’an quickened his steps home.
Knowing full well that at this time, apart from Aunt Chen, there would be no one home, but he still hoped to stay at home, waiting for the adults to return from work.
—In case something happened, there was a phone at home, and actions could be taken promptly.
Moreover, he was concerned about his two younger brothers who hadn’t returned from school yet, and once Aunt Chen left to pick them up, no one would be home to watch out.
Yet unexpectedly, today a surprising scene unfolded...
—Not far from the third gate, Liu Yi and May 1st were currently surrounded by a group of little girls.
"..."
"My brother likes fruit candies the most."
May 1st quickly added, "And chocolate."
From afar, Ping’an heard the voices of his two younger brothers, his mouth involuntarily twitching. Those rascals are selling out their brother!
"...What else does your brother like?"
"Badges! He loves badges the most." That was May 1st’s voice.
"My brother likes a lot of things, he also likes red dates, which can be soaked to make sugar water, and used to make date cakes..."
Before Liu Yi could finish, Ping’an was nearly startled into tripping. That was their mother’s favorite, wasn’t it? Are you dumping all the blame on me?
"Zhou Zihuo, Zhou Zixu... haha..."
With Ping’an’s voice, the little girls hurriedly scattered in all directions, revealing the innocent pair of brothers, blinking their big eyes.
"Got into trouble again?" Ping’an walked over slowly, glancing at the milk candies in his brothers’ hands, pointing at them with his finger, but unwilling to reprimand them.
Liu Yi and May 1st exchanged a quick glance, realizing it was serious since he was calling their full names! They rushed forward together, each hugging Ping’an’s arms, swaying them...
"Brother, I missed you so much."
"We’ve been waiting for brother for so long; it wasn’t us who found the sisters, really." May 1st implicitly said, implying they were approached not the other way around.
"Naughty boys, only good at using words." Ping’an held his brothers’ little hands in reverse, inspecting them from head to toe. Seeing nothing unusual, he was relieved.
"Brother, the sisters are so fun."
"You can’t take advantage of people in the future, understood? If mom knew, she would be very upset."
Liu Yi squeezed his palm, "We were just joking around with them."
"Brother knows you guys didn’t mean it, but outsiders might say that the elders didn’t teach you well. We can’t shame our elders, can we?"
Liu Yi and May 1st looked at each other and nodded at Ping’an.
"Adults have to work and also look after us, isn’t that busy and tiring?"
Seeing his brothers nod seriously again, Ping’an smiled, nodding at the guards in greeting. The two guards had already seen the earlier scene and were thoroughly amused.
Ping’an didn’t pay much attention, entering inside, walking slowly while holding his brothers’ hands, continuing to guide patiently, "So we three brothers should monitor each other, remind each other on what was done wrong, and how to correct it in the future, so we can progress together."
"Brother, last night I helped grandpa with a back massage, and fetched the dishes for grandma."
"I also got mom’s coat in the morning and polished the grown-ups’ shoes."
Ping’an gave the two brothers a look of approval, praising, "Brother has seen it all, you did even better than me, you’re model good babies."
"Brother is also well-behaved, also a good baby."
Ping’an: "..." I’m an adult, alright?
After washing up, the brothers, having rested for a bit after refreshments, like any other day, ran back upstairs. With the broadcast music, Ping’an took out the flute, and the twins pulled out small drums from a box.
In the kitchen preparing dinner, Aunt Chen heard the harmony from upstairs and joined in with loud, spirited singing of the revolutionary songs with the broadcast music.
Blowing the flute, Ping’an’s smile grew wider.
Away from the school where every day they had to stand up in class, shout some slogans, read quotations, and the tumultuous scheming...
At eight years old, he had already learned how to relax his mind.
On the desk, neatly folded red armband, a foreign novel not far from it, and a yellowing ancient book.
Though all these seemed so out of place together, yet they were so harmonious. Harmonious enough that even the young twins would grow up familiar with all these contents.